Careers in insurance: It's more than just claims and sales

When most people think of careers in insurance, the jobs that come to mind probably include selling policies and adjusting claims.

But insurance is a more diverse field than it often gets credit for, providing opportunities for workers in dozens of disciplines, said Roxanne Martinez, senior vice president for human resources and administrative services for Liberty Mutual Commercial Insurance.

The common thread is that the jobs are challenging and rewarding.

“If you thrive on complex issues, they are numerous in insurance,” Martinez said. “Throughout the insurance industry, there is a lot of depth and complexity among a wide variety of roles.”

Insurance careers also tend to offer good benefits and work-life balance, she said. And in large companies, there’s often geographic flexibility, whether you want to try new locations or stay put.

There are also chances to try out different duties through cross-functional work.

But awareness of the possibilities in insurance is low among students and new graduates, Martinez said. At the same, the business faces a wave of baby boomer retirements.

The number of U.S. insurance-industry employees is expected to exceed 2.43 million in 2020, up 8.7 percent from just under 2.24 million in 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook 2012-13.

Of course, sales and claims are still mainstays of the industry.

There were more than 443,000 insurance sales agents as of 2012, generating revenue by helping clients choose policies. The number of agents is expected to grow 10 percent by 2022.

Claims adjusters, along with appraisers, examiners and investigators, evaluate insurance claims to determine how much the company should pay. The category had 311,000 jobs in 2012, a number expected to increase 3 percent over 10 years.

James Ritchie is a journalist living in the Greensboro, N.C., area. He was a reporter for the Business Courier in Cincinnati for eight years, covering health care, technology and Procter & Gamble. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of Kentucky.

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